Seafood pizza, jacket potatoes, and the one ingredient you can
add on everything in Mexico. Not all Costco food courts are created equal.
The land down under has over 50 Costco locations spread over 15 cities. Although
you'll find several similar menu items in the U.S., like the beloved hot dogs, pizza slices,
and sundaes, the food court there has some unique items you won't find in your local Costco. The one
that jumps out the most is the banh mi. You can grab this Vietnamese street food classic
with your choice of chicken or pork topped with a handful of vegetables. Australia's Costco has
another Asian favorite: Korean-style fried chicken wings that come with a delicious dipping sauce.
True Costco foodies might also be jealous to learn Australia still has the supreme combo pizza that
features pepperoni, sausage, and a ton of veggies. The U.S. locations dropped the fan favorite during
the pandemic, but the Aussie locations held on. When one Redditor heard the news, he said,
"I will fly to Australia just to order myself a Whole Supreme pie."
If you're looking for something a bit healthier, you can opt for the Poke-style salad bowl. It
comes with cucumber, carrots, cabbage, edamame, and other veggies topped off with a savory miso
dressing. If you're trying to get extra protein, you can add chicken or roast pork to finish it
off. And to wash it all down, you can grab a bubble tea or a mango smoothie for just a
few bucks. Seems like our Aussie friends lucked out with their Costco selection.
If you head across the border to our northern neighbors, you'll find one
item just about all U.S. Costco fans are jealous of: fried chicken wings.
You can opt for a 10-piece box or a 30-piece bucket and munch away.
"We got Costco fried chicken for dinner, and it comes with two sauces. And look
at it. It's 30 wings in a bucket. Beautiful!"
And that's not the only menu item Americans might
be jealous of. Fitting the Canadian theme, Costcos up north also include poutine on their menus. Yup,
while you're shopping for a blender for your kitchen, you can chow down on crispy fries doused
in heartwarming gravy and melty cheese curds. One Redditor speaks for all Americans when they said,
"I want poutine in my local Costco."
To which a lucky Canadian replied,
"Yeah you do. That Costco gravy is godly."
If you're looking for something a bit more heartwarming, you can opt for some seafood
chowder, too. If you're looking for a dish that is super manageable while you shop, you can grab
some chicken tenders and fries instead. Or you can get everything and see what's best. Your choice.
"People are…said that they've been waiting up to four hours to get into the store."
In 2019, China got its first Costco in Shanghai, and to say it was successful would be
an understatement. Before the store even opened, Global Times reported that it had attracted more
than 80,000 members. When the store finally did open, huge crowds mobbed the warehouse retailer,
causing temporary closings because of overwhelming demand. Within a few months,
the location had nearly 200,000 members, which was double the chain's initial goal there,
according to Yahoo Finance. Costco went on to open another location in Suzhou,
just west of Shanghai in 2021. A third location opened in Shanghai's Pudong in March 2023.
Besides the great deals on phones, batteries,
and groceries, the food court was also a huge hit. You'll find a delicious coconut
smoothie and mango soft serve to keep you refreshed as you browse the store.
If you're feeling hungry, the most unique item you'll find on the Costco menu is the
seafood pizzas featuring shrimp, tuna, and crab sticks. Pineapple lovers can snag a Hawaiian
pizza as well. The locations in China also have other Costco food court classics like
the bulgogi bake, clam chowder, pizza, and hot dogs. It might just be worth it to brave
the extreme crowds of the China-based Costcos to try these unique offerings.
One twitter user made the claim that the Costco food court menu in Japan is elite,
and we couldn't agree more. If you ever get the chance to go to a Costco in Japan,
make sure you come hungry. It has several Western-inspired dishes like the cheeseburger,
garden burger, pulled pork burger, and an Aussie beef pie.
At some locations, you can also score a falafel salad that comes with falafels,
cherry tomatoes, shredded carrots, and a boiled egg resting on a bed of red cabbage and greens.
You can try its Hokkaido soft cream, an ice cream that comes from an area world-renowned for its
dairy products. This dessert is incredibly creamy and sweet with a soft and rich flavor. You can
also opt for the caramel soft cream, chocolate banana soft cream, or chestnut soft cream. Yes,
that's a lot of soft cream. And yes, you should try every single one of them.
But the best food deal at Japan's Costco isn't in the food court. Head back to the seafood section,
and you can get a massive 50-piece sushi platter.
Head south of the border, and you'll find Mexico also has unique food court
items that are not available in the U.S. locations. The first thing you'll notice
here is not only does it have a free onion grinder in the condiments section,
but it has a jalapeno grinder as well. This means you can add jalapenos to... EVERYTHING.
You can also find pulled pork sandwiches, chicken sandwiches,
and Hawaiian pizza. If you're wondering where the local cuisine-inspired dishes are,
look no further than the al pastor pizza that comes with delectable seasoned beef,
purple onions, and pineapple. This leads us back to the same question we've been asking
after researching every one of these menus... why doesn't the U.S. carry any of these items?
If you head across the pond to the United Kingdom, you'll find plenty of unique items
that perfectly fit... well... the U.K. First up on our list is the Aberdeen Angus cottage
pie. This comforting pie is made out of minced beef, onions, and other ingredients to create an
incredibly tender and heartwarming meal. Next up you'll find the jacket potatoes,
which are basically baked potatoes topped with cheese, baked beans, beef chili, or even tuna!
The U.K. Costco food court menu also includes the double chicken fillet sandwich. But
possibly the most surprising — and upsetting — thing, if you're not in the United Kingdom,
is the fact that the family bundle comes with not only pizza and sodas,
but a serving of garlic bread as well. It's about time the U.S. Costco starts stepping
up its game and implementing some of these out-of-country favorites into its own menus.